Sorcery's Hue (A Malion Series Novel)

Torment

I studied the page in such detail that I still remember the font.

The next day I remember being called to the front of the class because I wanted to try it for the first time in front of them. I wish I had been better at Celestial.

"Kreptkar Jetztk Vremptkat misstrketz." I mumbled, moving my hands in the way I'd studied. Madam Blue gasped and held a spell at the ready moment I started to speak. The moment the cast was complete, I felt my body shift in a numb pain that forced me to keel over. Once I landed on my hands and knees, the pain stopped, and I was left there with my heart pounding and shocked.

"I am sorry, Madam. My Celestial must be bad." I said, standing up and taking a deep breath.

"Well, at least you know what happens if the transform spell is miscast. Dark Star, please practice your consonant sounds. You're not hard enough with them." She said and smiled at me.

"Well done, Varitran," Allister whispered to me as I sat next to him, to his surprise. His Deep Osrocan friend sat on the other side of him. I raised my hand, pressing its side to the side of my face and facing my palm in her direction, stretching the tips of my fingers straight up and holding them together. She did the same, but with her thumb folded in on her palm. I nodded, noting the wish for delayed intimacy. He looked between the two of us and grinned.

"Good to see there is no hostility. Vari, this is Fell. She's really good at Mental spells. I'm great at the Physical ones, and you seem to be inclined to Darkness." He explained. At the mention of darkness, Fellorte's eyes widened.

"Darkness?" Her voice was a deeper pitch than I expected, allowing me to notice her more masculine features. I nodded at her curiosity.

"I know Hold as a Conjure as well. Wound is my second. I don't know of other Conjures I have. I want to test other spells to see if they come naturally to me." I said. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrank slightly.

"Hold? Isn't it rare to have conjures of two types?" She mumbled. I shrugged.

"I suppose I'm just stupidly rare," I muttered.

The class ended with another page studied and a new friend. We made our way to the field and planted ourselves beside the greenhouse. It was my favourite place next to the fountain, and Fell agreed. Allister opposed our opinions, though. It was too public for him, and I understood that. It was simply a meeting point for the Master and me whenever I felt unwell and unprepared for any class. He gave me explicit permission to leave a class at any time, might I think I would hurt anyone. Teachers knew this, and only a few knew why.

When the second to last class started that day, I got into class and sat near the front. I was looking forward to another period with Mister Grove.

"Hey, wound boy." I heard a vaguely familiar voice call me. I didn't look up at whoever it was until she barged up to my desk and slammed her hands on it, making me freeze. I stared at her in her cold blue eyes.

"I heard your focus is still empty. Give it here." She demanded. I narrowed my eyes at her and watched as a faint purple light dusted her pale face.

"I said, hand it over. You're not using it anyway, you freak." She growled.

"Leave me be," I said bluntly. Her response was a scoff. She raised a fist and primed something, then got closer to me.

"Give me your damn focus, you freaky tree boy." She growled.

"Leave me alone. I don't like you, and I will not allow you to take my focus." I told her. Then her fist slammed the side of my face, making it snap to the right. When I opened my eyes, I could see the dark glow on the terrified student beside me. I ducked out of my seat and ran past Mister Grove and into the plaza. The arena was in use, so I hunched behind the fountain and sat cross-legged. I bowed my head low and breathed deeply in hopes that would calm the tears or the darkness. Then I remembered the relief manoeuvre. I stood and began the ritual of semantics when suddenly I heard a shriek behind me that startled me into releasing my magic preemptively.

Mine duetted with the screams of at least 2 other girls as the darkness ripped out of me and engulfed other students. I scrambled to my feet and turned to find the group of girls that confronted me lying there, writhing. Ignoring my own pain, I rushed to their sides and healed all four of them, continuously mumbling apologies under my breath.

Their wounds closed but didn't disappear. They stared at me in horror. The Master appeared behind them, and I relieved a sigh. They struggled to stand, and he pulled them to their feet with protesting yelps and even a shocked scream from the main girl. While pulling them up, their wounds wholly disappeared.

"Master! I-I am so sorry. They followed me. I was unstable. I-I..."

"Be still, Dark Star. Gracious Bloom. You must learn to live up to your name. Trinity, you were such a good student before you found comradery with these girls. And Leah, what has gotten you so desperate to join Gracious Bloom in her motives? All of you, please make your way to my office." He scolded the Wood Osrocan girls and the only High Osrocan among them, "Jerellka, please return to class." He said to the Deep Osrocan.

"Sorry, Dark Star..." Jerellka said softly before slinking away.

"Gracious Bloom," I called the main girl. She glared at me.

"What do you want? You nearly killed us!" She growled, lunging forward. I ducked but looked back to see her held in place by Master's magic.

"I am so sorry. I should have been more careful. I will be mindful of your presence, but I will not allow you to torment me. I hope that Master gives you a just punishment." I said and watched Faric and the girls make their way into the grand building.